Past and Presents
by Zion's Starfish
Summary: Beka and Harper celebrate Christmas(es)


TITLE: Past and Presents  
  
AUTHOR: Zion's Starfish  
  
RATING: PG13, warning for language  
  
SPOILERS: TWG and beyond  
  
ARCHIVE: Sure, just tell me where  
  
DISCLAIMER: Andromeda et al isn't mine  
  
NOTES: Okay, the sequence of events is a bit confusing without the italics. Just think, every time the tense switches to present tense, it's a flashback =)  
  
DEDICATION: To every Slipstreamer, to luzmaria, maryavatar and ArmourMe. merry christmas  
  
  
  
Beka walked into the Maru's airlock. Her little potted Christmas tree was propped in the corner. Harper was crouched over a box in the corner.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harper looks up from the open box, a flush spreading across his face.  
  
She hasn't decided what color his eyes are yet. In this light, they're starkly hazel against his pale face, but they've also looked green, even blue sometimes.  
  
He pulls his hand out of the box. The bandage is tinged with pink but it looks a hell of a lot better than it did.  
  
"Sorry, boss, I. I wasn't."  
  
Harper stands and backs up. The feral confidence she witnessed a few days ago was gone. This could have been a different kid altogether.  
  
"You weren't what? Stealing?"  
  
"I wasn't stealing."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
".I was trying to find the ornaments for the tree. But look."  
  
Beka looked at the box. All the ornaments were smashed.  
  
"Hell. I knew we should have moved this stuff somewhere safer. The Magog really trashed everything, didn't they."  
  
She put her hand on Harper's shoulder.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"It's okay, kid," she says. "Nothing in that box is really worth anything anyway. It's mostly junk."  
  
"I wasn't stealing," he repeats.  
  
She gives him a good look. Skinny, even wearing Bobby's sweater. Experimental hair she still doesn't quite get.  
  
"I hear you," she says clearly.  
  
He looks relieved.  
  
"I just thought the tree would look nice with some. uh."  
  
He picks up the strand of garland from the box.  
  
"Uh. this. sparkly. stuff."  
  
"Garland?"  
  
"Uh. whatever you say."  
  
Beka considers. "You could go ahead and decorate it if you want. It's just. I didn't plan on celebrating much this year."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"We don't exactly have a lot to celebrate," she said, sitting down beside him. It had been a long year. She never thought she'd admit it, but she'd missed the quiet moments. Like now, like just sitting on the floor of the Maru with Harper, doing nothing.  
  
"If you're talking about the larvae."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
".you'd kind of be right. Breaking up with Bobby. I mean, I know he was a little shit, but we'd been through a lot together."  
  
Harper is quiet. Still apprehensive, maybe, about being shipped back to Earth.  
  
She rummages through the box. "He gave me the first year we spent a Christmas together." She unwraps a ball of tissue and reveals a small tin bird: an antique, probably and stolen, most likely. Harper takes it in his hands, carefully. She watches him study it.  
  
It has a long, soft plume of silk threads for a tail, no wings, and a clip for feet. The head is painted green and there is a stripe of red down its back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The bird's body was crushed in, broken. Harper cradled it like a live thing.  
  
"Fucking Magog."  
  
His voice was hard, flat. She'd heard that tone rarely in the time that she'd known him. The first time was a rainy night, four years ago, when he'd helped her kick Bobby's flash-fried and drunken ass out on the street. Bobby hadn't wanted to go.  
  
Beka had insisted. And Harper had insisted too, right alongside her.  
  
"It's okay, Harper, really."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"If you say so."  
  
He offers back the bird but she doesn't take it.  
  
"You're right. The tree needs a little color, maybe some tinsel or something. And presents, definitely."  
  
"Presents?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Yup. You think some puny Magog are going to stop me from going shopping?"  
  
Harper smiled reluctantly. "I shouldn't have doubted."  
  
"Damn straight."  
  
She handed him a rectangular box. "It may not be what you want. I mean, I got it for you before."  
  
Harper tore into the box and the ribbon and paper shreds went flying. He pulled out a Hawaiian style shirt. It was loud and crazy, undignified, cocky. but the colors were brilliant. Just like Harper. Still like Harper.  
  
He laughed delightedly. "It's perfect, Beka."  
  
"Liar."  
  
"It is."  
  
He grabbed her in a hug.  
  
"But. I didn't get you anything."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Neither did I. See? So we should go shopping."  
  
"Shopping?"  
  
"That's right. We sell Bobby's stuff off for a ridiculously high price, take the money and spend it on us. And the Maru. What do you say?"  
  
"Um."  
  
"Say yes, Harper," she said with a grin.  
  
Harper manages a stunned smile. "Yes, Harper."  
  
"There you go. Come on. I'll help you change that bandage and then we'll go shopping."  
  
"Wait, what about."  
  
He's still holding the bird.  
  
"We could sell that too. It might be worth a lot."  
  
"I. kind of like it."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Harper blushes. "Yeah."  
  
"We should keep it then. Stick it on the tree."  
  
Harper grins and his eyes are suddenly that brilliant blue. He fairly bounces to the tree, clips it on the top.  
  
Beka grins. "It's not the conventional tree topper but."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Fuck conventional," they said together, laughing. Out of all of their running gags, this was one of the longest lasting.  
  
Harper looked down at the bird again. "You know what? I think I could fix this."  
  
"It's just an ornament, Harper."  
  
"I know."  
  
"It could be my gift to you."  
  
She hugged him and smiled at his surprised, "Oooph!"  
  
"Harper, you are a gift."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Beka waits while Harper pulls on his jacket. For the first time in a long time, she's happy, and not afraid to admit it. Maybe it's because Bobby is gone. Or because Harper is here. Whatever. It doesn't matter. Gifts come in all shapes and sizes, don't they?  
  
Harper sees her happy expression and gives her a smile.  
  
She smiles back.  
  
  
  
The End  
  
NOTE: The tin bird is real =) 


End file.
